From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) said it has commenced the final push to eliminate further transmission of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, years before the 2030 global deadline.
NACA said the measures taken over the years by the agency, with the support of global partners, have begun to yield results. They were particularly happy that more people have been put in the treatment net in the last one year through the help of the Federal Government.
Nigeria joined the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS over four decades ago. The first two cases of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria were diagnosed in 1985 and reported in 1986, in Lagos. One of the cases involved was a 13-year-old female sex worker.
Many observers have questioned the confidence of NACA on eliminating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria even when the world is still awaiting the development of vaccines that would help in the fight against the virus.
However, NACA director-general, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, at an event to mark the 2021 World AIDS Day, in Abuja, said the onslaught against HIV/AIDS will be intensified, drawing courage from data that indicated that more progress is being made in the fight.
He, thereby, solicited the support of all stakeholders, particularly the UNAIDS, the Federal Ministry of Health through the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP), the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (NEPWAN) and others, describing them as critical stakeholders in the effort to eliminate HIV/AIDS in Nigeria before 2030 global deadline
Dr. Aliyu said the report of the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) contributed greatly to the success against HIV/AIDS, as it provided clearer picture of the state of HIV in Nigeria, particularly the burden, financing and responses over the years.
He also made reference to the outcome of a survey on mode of HIV transmission, which revealed that four key population groups account for about 91 per cent of all new infections among adults in recent times. They are the never married uncircumcised females and circumcised males aged between 19 and 31 years. Others are female sex workers and men who have sex with men.
The NACA boss explained that the key population groups, which represent less than two per cent of the total population, accounted for about 11 per cent of new infections. Also, child infections due to mother-to-child transmission represent the second largest source of new infections, thus accounting for 22 per cent of all new infections.
He said that in many states, child infections account for even larger proportion, up to 50 per cent.
However, Aliyu explained that NACA was working assiduously to close the gaps, but findings of the study further helped the Agency and its partners to redirect resources for maximum yields, as it looks forward to attaining epidemic control with more targeted interventions.
He said the policy implications of the findings is that efforts would be made to target the identified vulnerable groups such as the never married population, which is the largest source of new infections and are mostly between the ages of 17 and 34 for females and 19 and 31 for men.
Meanwhile, at a press conference to herald the 2021 World AIDS Day, the NACA boss confirmed that Nigeria has recorded significant progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, as recalibration of the HIV epidemic showed a significant decline in HIV prevalence from 5.8 per cent in 2001 to 1.3 per cent in 2018.
He said: “Presently, it’s estimated that 1.8 million people live with HIV in Nigeria, of which 90 per cent are aware of their HIV status, 96 per cent are on treatment and 84 per cent are virally suppressed.
“Despite the negative impact of the 2020 lockdown instituted as a public health measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 across the world, the HIV programme in Nigeria proved resilient with increase in the number of people placed on treatment.
“Similarly, the Nigeria national response is in the last mile of its epidemic control and the push for sustainability is crucial. In this last mile of the National HIV response, the public and private sectors, the communities, and all stakeholders in the national response have roles to play to ensure epidemic control and sustainability.
“They must ensure that states’ ownership remain on the political agenda. States must overcome all barriers that prevent access to services, create an enabling environment that promotes equal access, safeguard the rights of People Living With HIV (PLHIV) and hold decision makers and implementers accountable. Also, conscious effort must also be made to address emerging dynamics if we are to achieve epidemic control and sustain it.”
National Coordinator, Network of People Living With HIV in Nigeria (NEPWAN), Abdul Abdulkadir, lamented the rising children infection in Nigeria, which he pegged at 150, 000.
He advised NACA and its partners to focus energy on bringing on board people who are not yet on treatment and also cautioned against inequality in treatment opportunities.
For sustainable financing of HIV treatment programmes in Nigeria, Abdulkadir suggested the establishment of HIV Trust Fund that would provide funds, locally, to finance HIV treatment preparatory to the exit of the foreign donor partners.
The National Coordinator, National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP), Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Akudo Ikpeazu, disclosed that 1.629,427 are currently receiving HIV/AIDS treatment on the bill of the Federal Government.
She said: “As at the end of June 2021, only 57,280 children from age 0-14 are on treatment. Adult male are 551,106 while adult female are 1,021.041.”
The Country Director, UNAIDS Nigeria, Erasmus Morah, said the World AIDS Day that came up on December 1, with the theme: ‘End inequality, end aids’, will provide opportunity for stakeholders to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with the disease, remember persons who have died because of HIV/AIDS-related complications and raise awareness about it.